Worth the Wait
by Bella Gilies
Summary: It's forth year and everybody is amazed to see Hermione's date to the Yule Ball. Except Hermione really wishes she was there with someome else... Dramione Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: Although I very much wished I did, I do not own Harry Potter ,or Draco Malfoy :'( , or anything to do with them. **

**Authors note: I did not have a beta for this because I don't understand the process. So sorry for the mistakes :/. This is my first piece**

****Worth the Wait****

**Oneshot**

She glanced at him from beneath her eyelashes and her heart jolted. Warmth spread through her entire body as she realised that he, was for once, looking at her in awe. In fact, nearly the whole school was looking at her like she had suddenly been reincarnated as a Veela. She suppressed a shudder at the memory of the eerily beautiful bird women she'd seen earlier that year.

It was weird looking back on that day now, realising it had been the very first time she'd laid eyes on the man that was now leading her, arm-in-arm, into the hall. The man that she knew she could never really like as much as the pale boy leaning against the pillar at the opposite end of the room.

She knew it was bad of her to have agreed to come with Krum when she had known she would only end up hurting his feelings. She couldn't even bring herself to look up into his kind, slightly crooked features. It was a selfish thing for her to do, but try as she might, she could not bring herself to regret her decision. And she knew; as long as the blond haired angel cloaked in black kept on staring at her like a blind man seeing the light for the first time, she never would.

"And finally we have the Durmstrang champion Mr Viktor Krum partnered with Miss Hermione Granger", Dumbledore announced in his magically magnified voice.

The crowd seemed to come out of their stunned reverie and there was a scattering of applause. Hermione couldn't help but be a little annoyed at Dumbledore for stealing away the attention. Especially since, at the mention of her name, Malfoy had turned his head in disgust. The warmth that her body had only just accumulated seemed to freeze inside her and she suppressed the urge to vomit.

She knew it was stupid hoping Malfoy would ever see her the way she saw him, like a beacon of light signalling she was home. She dropped her eyes to the floor so no one would see the tears she was only just managing to keep from slipping down her cheeks.

Krum led her once around the hall before they took their seats on the high table next to the other champions and their dates. She kept her eyes downcast on her empty plate until she was positive she wasn't about to start crying.

She glanced down along the table and her eyes fell on Harry, he was looking very much out of his element, especially next to Parvarti who was smiling cheerfully and waving to all her friends. Hermione would've sent him an encouraging smile if he hadn't been so immersed in enviously watching Cho Chang flirt with Cedric Diggory.

She felt a stab of pity for her friend, knowing full well what it was like to want what you can't have.

Every now and then Krum would try to engage her in conversation, but he tired of her short, simple answers very quickly and soon gave up. Instead he started wondering aloud when it would be time for dinner.

Usually this would annoy Hermione immensely, but tonight she was too busy trying to keep her eyes from wandering over to the small round table at the back of the room where she was sure _he_ would be sitting to care. She would only manage a few minutes before she felt her eyes, without any conscious thought or order, start scanning the hall for the object of her desire and she'd have to quickly pull them back again.

Finally dinner arrived and she thought it may be safe to take just a quick glance in that general direction. She lied to herself saying that she was really only looking for Ron. She carefully lifted her eyes from her virtually untouched fettuccini with rocket pesto and let them do what they had wanted to do for the whole night.

He was sitting at the exact table she had assumed he'd be at with a bunch of other Slytherins including, Hermione felt her blood start to boil, that bloody cow Parkinson! She was giggling and smiling and they appeared to be holding hands.

Hermione made a mental resolution to curse Pansy before the end of the night. Maybe make her into an actual cow. It wouldn't be that hard, she already looked a lot like one. Hermione smirked, very much liking the idea.

Music started playing and Hermione started. She had forgotten that this was coming. Krum stood up and offered her his hand. She took it imagining that the wide, rough hand under hers was really silky smooth and deathly pale. He led her on to the dance floor and grabbed her waist. She placed her hands on his shoulders and they began to waltz. She stared down at her feet, fearing he might accidently step on them. However he was a surprisingly graceful dancer.

Before long the rest of the school was getting up to join the champions in dancing. She and Krum weaved through the other dancers and she was almost starting to enjoy herself.

Almost.

She still couldn't shake of the feeling of foreboding and supreme jealousy that she felt when she remembered that the boy she had secretly liked for the last couple of years was dancing with someone else. She wondered if he was watching her now and felt the unsurpassable urge to look.

She lifted her eyes from her feet and commenced her searching. However her thoughts were thrown off track when her eyes came across a not-so-happy redhead.

Ron was glaring at her so intensely that she felt sure he would soon burn a hole in her robes. She frowned at him, wondering what had caused this emotion in her friend. For a moment she had a startling suspicion that he could perform legilimency, but she pushed that idea out of her mind at once. Ron had failed far too many tests for that to be true.

She then realised Ron was actually glaring at Krum. Krum! His Quidditch hero. Hermione didn't even bother trying to work that one out. Krum had probably just scored really badly in the last game or something. Nothing for her to worry about. She continued her searching.

It was a fruitless effort. With the lights dimmed and everyone so tightly compacted together it was hard to recognise anyone. She wondered why Ron had stuck out so clearly.

The song ended and in its place a very loud jumpy one came on. Hermione really wasn't in the mood for dancing so she took the opportunity to go get a drink of punch. She wasn't really concentrating where she was stepping and accidently tripped over someone that had gotten in the way.

"Oops m'bad Granger. Did you have a nice trip? I would help you up but I've already showered today and I absolutely hate wasting water." Malfoy drawled lazily from above where she was sprawled on the floor. He stepped over her and walked away.

Hermione watched him go. A mixture of anger and regret rushing through her system. She got herself up and brushed off her robes. She then continued on her way to the refreshments table trying very hard not to think of what Malfoy would look like in the shower.

She retrived the refreshments and made her way back through the throng, scanning the hall for Krum, holding his drink in her hand. It didn't take long to locate him. The big group of fan girls that followed him everywhere seemed to have taken advantage of Hermione's absence. He was trapped up against a wall while the girls took turns to brush themselves up against him. Hermione suppressed a giggle at his horrified expression. When he saw her, relief flooded his features.

"Hermiown," he yelled, "Over here!" he waved at her. She fought her way through the gaggle of girls to reach him and hand him his drink.

"Let's go for a walk." She suggested jerking her head in the direction of the doorway.

"Okay." He agreed, catching on. Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at the girls.

"Everyone get out of our way!" she threatened. The crowd around them slowly dispensed giving them a clear path to the doorway.

"Fank you." Krum sighed in relief when they had made their way safely out into the grounds.

"Don't mention it." muttered Hermione.

They walked the grounds in silence for a while. Occasionally as they passed bushes they'd hear muffled sounds coming from inside. After a while she started getting cold.

"Do you mind if I go back inside for a while? I just left my coat on the chair." she asked. Krum shook his head.

"I'll vait here." he said and sat down on one of the cold marble benches they were standing near. Hermione nodded and made her way back inside.

She'd collected her jacket and was trudging her way back to Krum across the uneven grounds when something silver caught her eye. She looked around. Malfoy and Parkinson were standing a few metres away from her, completely hidden in shadows. If it hadn't been for the way the moonlight glinted off Malfoy's pale skin making it glow a strange, eerie silver she never would've seen them.

Suddenly she realised what they were doing and her vision clouded. All she could see was red and green. Pretty ironic considering it was Christmas.

Without thinking, without even considering what she was about to do she drew her wand. There was a flash of white light and Pansy cried out in pain. Hermione only stayed to watch Pansy's face erupt in boils before she hurried away, unnoticed by either of the pair. A big lump beginning to form in the bottom of her throat.

She was going to go find Krum but decided better then to let him see her in this state. Instead she ran down to the large beech tree by the lake that she, Harry and Ron sometimes did their homework under, and sat down, leaning against its wide trunk. A strangled sob escaped her tight lipped mouth and before she knew it she was crying. Tears streaming down her face in torrents. It was not the first time, nor did she presume it would be the last time, she'd cried because of Draco Malfoy.

She wasn't exactly sure how long it took to compose herself. She was just very happy to have had the sense to wear waterproof make-up. She stood up and made sure she was decent before walking towards the bench Krum was supposed to be sitting at.

He looked up at the sound of her arrival and smiled at her.

"Hermiown, I vas starting to get vorried!" he said

"Oh sorry about that, turns out I'd actually left my coat in the dormitory." She smiled, a little too widely, hoping he wouldn't remember that she'd been carrying her coat with her as they entered the hall and discern her lie. He seemed content with the excuse however, and when she sat down on the bench next to him he slung his arm over her shoulders.

She felt a stab of guilt that she didn't enjoy the feeling more. Most girls would love it if an international Quidditch star had his arm around them, but then, Hermione wasn't most girls.

"Aren't the stars lovely tonight," Krum said gesturing up at the sky. Hermione nodded, not quite sure where he was going with this. "Of course they're beauty is nufing compared to the beauty sitting next to me." He looked down to meet Hermione's eyes. She blushed and dropped her gaze to her lap. He cupped her chin in his hands and lifted it so her eyes were locked with his.

"You haf beautiful eyes." he whispered and started leaning forward. Hermione stood up so quickly she nearly knocked the bench over.

"I'm sorry. Um...Toilet." was all she managed to squeak before turning on her heel and fleeing into the castle, leaving Krum sitting there with his lips still puckered looking dumbfounded.

She ran back into the great hall and sat down on her seat. She was having a mental breakdown. Why, oh why did she agree to come with Krum? She should've realised he'd want to kiss her. He probably did it all the time with other girls he went out with. It was probably expected. And why had she freaked out the way she did? It wasn't like she never wanted to be kissed. Heck, she'd even practised on her hand a few times. It was just that it was her first kiss. That was why the thought disgusted her so much. Why it made her feel like vomiting. That was all. It didn't have anything to do with Krum.

But even as she reached this conclusion there was a tiny, little, nagging voice in the back of her head doubting it. Because she knew deep down, in the part of her brain that knew House Elves didn't want to be freed, that if it had been Malfoy who'd been trying to kiss her she wouldn't have minded one bit. She sighed and placed her head in her hands, for the first time in her life she wished her brain would stop thinking.

She was awoken from her reverie by a familiar drawling voice. The last person she wanted to think about right now.

"Well I think I'll head back to the dormitory now. There's no point me staying any longer now Pansy's gone off to the hospital wing."

Hermione lifted her head a little to see Malfoy talking to Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini and Nott.

"Oh c'mon Malfoy, stay a bit longer. There are plenty of good-looking pure-blood girls left." Nott said.

"Nah I'm just not up for it tonight, besides it's a shit party anyway. Father could do better than this with his wand snapped in half." Malfoy said. There was a murmur of agreement from the other boys. "Well; night." he said and turned. Crabbe and Goyle looked as if they were about to follow but Zabini put his hands on their shoulders,

"Let's go find Flint, I heard he smuggled in some fire whiskey." He suggested, his eyes glinting mischievously. They all trudged away leaving Hermione one of the only people left in the hall.

She wasn't sure what made her do it but suddenly she was on her feet again. A fierce determination in her eyes. She stalked out into the entrance hall just in time to see the sleek blond head of Draco Malfoy turn into the dungeon corridor.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Draco Malfoy walked down towards the dungeons. He was tired. The Yule Ball hadn't lived up to his expectations. He had finally convinced Pansy to snog him and what happens? She breaks out in hideous boils. He'd been hoping that maybe, if he'd played his cards right, he might've got to second base tonight, but no. Pansy was probably allergic to his cologne or something.

He aimed an angry kick at the wall, hoping to relieve some of his tension. Instead there was a loud cracking noise indicating his toe had probably just broke, he swore and was bending down to inspect the damage when he felt something long, wooden and pointy jab into his back.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Stand up straight Malfoy and put your hands where I can see them." Snarled a voice he would recognise anywhere. He slowly did what he was told feeling stupidly like the bloke he'd once seen on a Muggle TV show.

Malfoy had stopped and was bending down when she'd finally caught up with him. She silently extracted her wand from her robes and jabbed it in his back. Right between his shoulder blades.

"Stand up straight Malfoy and put your hands where I can see them." She snarled. He slowly straightened up and raised his hands into the air. "Now I want you to enter the passage behind that tapestry." She ordered and gave him a push in the direction she wanted him to go in. He sighed but did what he was told. She followed, her wand still pressed firmly into his back.

When they were safely out of sight from prying eyes Hermione let her captive turn around to face her. Judging by his unsurprised expression Hermione guessed that he had already figured out that it was her.

"Grang-", He started to drawl but Hermione cut him off. She had stood up on tiptoe, grabbed the front of his robes and pressed her lips firmly against his. His body stiffened but she didn't care. She'd spent too much time fantasizing about this moment for his lack of enthusiasm to ruin it. Her lips worked vigorously on his, trying to force a reaction, while her arms explored any bit of him they could reach.

She worked on him for a few minutes but he still didn't relax. She was about to give up on him and step away when something wonderful happened. Something she'd only thought possible in her dreams. He started kissing her back.

His hands grabbed her waist pulling her as close to him as possible and preventing any chance of her escaping, even if she'd wanted to. His lips started moving in perfect unison with hers. Just as fiercely too. Her hands stopped their exploring and knotted themselves in his hair. Trapping his face against hers.

She wished it could go on forever, but unfortunately they had to breathe sometime. They released each other and each took a step back, gasping for air.

When their breathing subsided there was a long silence. A very long silence. Long enough for Hermione to come to her senses and realise what she'd just done.

She'd threatened and assaulted a fellow student.

She was horrified at herself. She, perfect Hermione Granger, teacher's pet, top of the class in every subject had just broken some of the most important school rules there was. She started hyperventilating. What if someone found out about it? What if this cost her a prefect badge next year? She was going into full on panic mode when she felt his cool, smooth hands on her shoulders.

She finally remembered Malfoy. She looked sheepishly up into his eyes, expecting to see anger and hatred clouding the light grey. Instead he was smirking. She frowned at him. His smirk grew more pronounced and he leant forward so his lips were at her ear.

"You don't know how long I've wanted you to do that", He whispered. She leant back, her eyes growing wide and then, she too, started smirking.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that." She said

"Was it worth the wait?" He asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically

"Well, it was over so quickly that-", her words died in her throat as Malfoy pressed his smooth lips back up against hers. It was even better then the first time and when they finally broke apart she felt very dizzy.

"It was most defiantly worth the wait", she panted.

"As I expected", he smirked and turned to go, he was nearly through the tapestry when he paused and turned back to face her. "Tomorrow, 7pm transfiguration classroom, I'll be waiting." was all he said before exiting into the dungeon corridor outside.

Hermione leant up against the stone wall, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was thudding at a million miles per minute. She couldn't believe it. She'd kissed Draco Malfoy; he'd said he'd wanted her to. Had the world gone mad? She didn't know, but if it had she hoped it never returned to normal.

She walked back to the great hall, a smile of deep satisfaction on her lips.

**A.N: Didja like it? Like I said at the start, I do not understand the betaring process (how are you supposed to show them your story?) but I would love somebody to tell me how to work it. I wrote this about a year ago but I wanted to get it betad before I published it, Today I just thought stuff it, I'll put it out there see if that helps my cause. So yeah. That is all. :)**


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